Authors Interviewing Characters: Kimberly Belle

About My Darling Husband

Jade and Cam Lasky are by all accounts a happily married couple, with two adorable kids, a spacious home, and a rapidly growing restaurant business. But their world is tipped upside down when Jade is confronted by a masked home invader. As Cam scrambles to gather the ransom money, Jade starts to wonder if they’re as financially secure as their lifestyle suggests, and what other secrets her husband is keeping from her.

Cam may be a good father, a celebrity chef, and a darling husband, but there’s another side he’s kept hidden from Jade that has put their family in danger. Unbeknownst to Cam and Jade, the home invader has been watching them and is about to turn their family secrets into a public scandal.

Kimberly interviews Jade

KB: Thanks for joining me here today. Why don’t we start with you telling us a little about yourself?

JL: Okay, well, I’m a mother and a wife, and those roles keep me more than busy. I love that Cam’s job allows me to stay home and care for our kids, Beatrix and Baxter, even though sometimes they can be a handful. Especially Beatrix. She plays violin, and juggling her lessons and practice schedule keeps me on my toes. 

KB: Yes, I hear she’s quite the child prodigy. 

JL: (wincing) We try to stay away from that word, but she’s very talented, yes. She only has to hear a melody once to play it perfectly by ear. That’s how we discovered her talent, actually, because she remembered a song she heard in passing in the grocery store. She was two at the time, which is kind of unheard of, really. We try to honor her talent while also allowing her as normal a childhood as possible. It’s a constant struggle.

KB: That’s a lot of talent in one family, though. What’s it like being married to a celebrity chef?

JL: Well, I hardly ever have to cook, so that part’s pretty great. (laughs) And going anywhere with Cam is like being with a rock star. People ask for his picture and autograph, and they buy us drinks and food. He always makes time for them, but honestly, sometimes it can be a little much. The visibility, I mean. We can’t go anywhere without getting noticed. 

KB: That sounds rather intense. Doesn’t it bother you that strangers know that much about you and your family? 

JL: We meet the occasional creeper, I guess, but no one’s ever followed me home if that’s what you mean.

KB: Okay, but with five Lasky Steaks, you must be home alone a lot. Chefs work crazy long hours. Evenings. Weekends. Isn’t that hard, being on your own so much?

JL: (shrugging) Cam works very hard. He’s a great provider. 

KB: But didn’t I hear some rumblings about money problems at the Lasky Steak near Perimeter Mall? As I recall, the chef accused Cam of cheating him out of his stake in the business. 

JL: I try not to get involved with Cam’s work stuff, but that was a rumor and a bunch of sour grapes on the chef’s end. Cam had to fire him because he wasn’t performing. The menu wasn’t up to par, his staff was jumping ship. Ultimately, a restaurant is about filling tables, and that chef wasn’t filling his.

KB: Exactly. Because if the tables are empty, then doesn’t that mean as a result that the restaurant is not making enough money?

JL: (frowning) Like I said, Cam is a great provider.

KB: What about the West Side and Inman Park restaurants?

JL: What about them?

KB: I hear there are money problems at those locations, too. 

JL: I don’t know where you’re hearing these things, but they’re just not true. Cam’s investors love him because he’s making them buckets of money. His restaurants are doing great. There are no money problems.

KB: And you know this because Cam tells you this. 

JL: Cam tells me the truth. We don’t keep secrets from each other. That’s not the way our marriage works. We tell each other everything. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. I’m about to be late picking up my daughter at the music academy. 

BUY MY DARLING HUSBAND HERE

Bio

Kimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of seven novels, including My Darling Husband and The Marriage Lie, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery & Thriller. Her books have been published in more than in a dozen languages and have been optioned for film and television. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Belle divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam. 

Keep up with Kimberly on Facebook (www.facebook.com/KimberlyBelleBooks), Twitter (@KimberlySBelle), Instagram (@KimberlySBelle) or via her website at www.kimberlybellebooks.com

Praise for MY DARLING HUSBAND

“In the kind of twisty page-turner that readers know they can rely on Belle to deliver, a mother fights for the lives of her children while trying to unravel her husband’s secret life. Riveting suspense, truly surprising revelations, and silky smooth writing make this one unmissable!”  — Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Mother May I

“This novel should come with two warnings: a) clear your schedule because once you start you can’t stop, and b) hold on tight because you’re in for one hell of a ride. Gripping, intense and utterly bingeworthy, MY DARLING HUSBAND had me holding my breath more times than I can count. Fabulously constructed, brilliantly layered and secretive characters, plus heroines you’ll cheer for, Belle once again proves she’s a true master of domestic suspense. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up now!” — Hannah Mary McKinnon, bestselling author of Sister Dear and You Will Remember Me

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews, On Writing